Forced Air Heater Including On-Board Source of Electric Energy

ABSTRACT

A forced-air heater having a self-contained on-board electric-power supply that allows the forced-air heater to operate without an external electric power source; a fuel tank; a combustion chamber; a support; a housing including upper and lower housing portions; a motorized fan that during operation draws in ambient air through an air intake and forces air into the combustion chamber.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.11/954,704, filed Dec. 12, 2007, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/874,427, filed Dec. 12, 2006. All of thesubject matter disclosed by U.S. Ser. No. 60/874,427 is herebyincorporated by reference into this application. All of the subjectmatter disclosed by U.S. Ser. No. 11/954,704 is hereby incorporated byreference into this application.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to portable forced-air heaters, andmore particularly to portable forced-air heaters that derive at least aportion of their electric energy required for operation of the heaters,or an accessory thereof, from an on board source.

2. Description of Related Art

Fuel-fired portable heaters such as forced-air heaters are well known inthe art and find use in multiple environments. The heater typicallyincludes a cylindrical housing with a combustion chamber disposedcoaxially therein. A combustible liquid fuel from a fuel tank isatomized and mixed with air inside the combustion chamber where it iscombusted, resulting in the generation of a flame. During combustion ofthe air/fuel mixture a fan blade is rotated by an electric motor to drawambient air into the heater to be heated by the combustion of theair/fuel mixture. The heated air is expelled out of the heater by thecontinuous influx of air caused by the fan.

Traditionally, forced-air heaters have required a source of electricenergy to energize the motor that rotates the fan blade and optionallyto operate an ignition source that triggers combustion of the air/fuelmixture. The fan is often a heavy-duty, high output fan that consumessignificant amounts of electric energy during operation thereof, andoperation of the igniter consumes even more electric energy. The demandfor electric energy created by operation of the fan and other electriccomponents of forced-air heaters has required such heaters to be pluggedinto a conventional wall outlet supplying alternating current (“AC”)electric energy generated by a public utility. In remote environments alengthy extension cord can establish a conductive pathway for theelectric energy between a wall outlet and the location of the forced-airheater. However, at locations where a new structure is being built aconventional wall outlet is typically not available, requiring the useof a portable generator to supply the electric energy untilutility-generated electric energy becomes available.

As previously mentioned, forced-air heaters are often utilized toprovide heat to new construction environments for significant periods oftime that can extend well into the night. After dusk, illumination ofthe environment in the vicinity of the forced-air heater is required toenable workers to view their worksite and avoid potentially hazardousconditions. Assuming that a conventional wall outlet is available, anextension cord can be used to conduct electric energy from the walloutlet to an on-site light stand. However, the light stand adds to theequipment that must be transported to a jobsite, and a conventional walloutlet is usually not available during the initial stages of a newconstruction.

Even in instances when a conventional wall outlet is available, thereare normally a limited number of electric devices that can be powered bythe outlet at any given time. Using adaptors to increase the number ofavailable outlets into which an electrical device can be plugged canlead to excessive currents being drawn through an extension cord orother adaptor. Thus, there are a limited number of electrical devicesthat can be simultaneously powered on a new construction jobsite at anygiven time. This limitation is even greater when a wall outlet supplyingutility-generated electricity is unavailable.

Forced-air heaters are also relatively bulky, and occupy a significantamount of storage space while not in use. Attempts to store such aheater in an alternative orientation other than its intended operationalorientation in which the heater is designed to be fired in order toconserve storage space results in the liquid fuel leaking out of theheater. And although the fuel can be drained from the heater beforestoring it in an alternative orientation to minimize the leakage offuel, such an option is time consuming, and is impractical for temporarystorage on a daily basis.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a forced air heater that isoperational in a remote environment in the absence of a conventionalwall outlet supplying utility-generated AC electric energy. At least oneelectrical component of the forced air heater can be energized duringoperation of the heater by electric energy from an on-board source ofelectric energy. The forced air heater can also optionally include anelectric energy outlet that can provide an interface through which anelectric accessory can be energized by electric energy from the on-boardenergy source. Further, the forced air heater can optionally alsoinclude a light source for illuminating an environment in the vicinityof the forced air heater. Further yet, the forced air heater canoptionally include a fuel-management system that minimizes leakage of aliquid fuel from the heater while stored in an alternative orientationother than the orientation in which it is to be fired.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A forced-air heater having a self-contained on-board electric-powersupply that allows the forced-air heater to operate without an externalelectric power source; a fuel tank; a combustion chamber; a support; ahousing including upper and lower housing portions; a motorized fan thatduring operation draws in ambient air through an air intake and forcesair into the combustion chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement ofparts, embodiments of which will be described in detail in thisspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form apart hereof, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a forced-air heater including an outletand a light exposed to an exterior of the forced-air heater inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a forced-air heater including an outletand a light exposed to an exterior of the forced-air heater inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cutaway view of a forced-air heater in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cutaway view of a battery that can optionally be utilized asa power source for a forced-air heater in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a view of a forced-air heater in an orientation in which it isto be fired according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a view of a forced-air heater in an orientation in which itcan optionally be transported with minimal leakage of a liquid fuel fromthe heater's fuel tank according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 is a view of a forced-air heater in a substantially-verticalorientation in which it can optionally be stored with minimal leakage ofa liquid fuel from the heater's fuel tank according to an embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a cutaway view of a fuel management system that can optionallybe provided to a forced-air heater according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to betaken as a limitation on the present invention. Relative language usedherein is best understood with reference to the drawings, in which likenumerals are used to identify like or similar items. Further, in thedrawings, certain features may be shown in somewhat schematic form.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show illustrative embodiments of a forced-air heater 1,which generally includes a fuel tank 3, a support 5, a housing includingupper and lower housing portions 8, 7, respectively, and a combustionchamber 10 including an inner cylinder 11 and an outer cylinder 12.Alternate embodiments include a housing formed as a singular, generallycylindrical shell. A semi-spherical shaped baffle 13 is providedadjacent to a discharge end 2 of the combustion chamber 10 and an intakeguard 14 is provided adjacent to an air intake end 19 port of theforced-air heater 1.

The fuel tank 3 can optionally be formed as a singular molded unit orfrom two opposing rectangular trays arranged with their openings facingeach other. For embodiments including a fuel tank 3 formed from twoopposing trays, the trays are joined together by seam welding orotherwise coupling flanges 3 a extending around the perimeter of thefuel tank 3. A removable filler cap 4 covers a fueling aperture (notshown) formed in a surface of the fuel tank 3 through which a liquidfuel 20 (FIG. 3) such as a suitable grade fuel oil, kerosene, gasolineand the like may be added. The liquid fuel is atomized and combined withair or other oxygen source in the combustion chamber 10, where it iscombusted to generate the thermal energy for heating air being forcedthrough the forced-air heater 1.

The combustion chamber 10 includes a cavity defined by a generallycylindrical shell 12. An annular space 71 (FIG. 3) is left between anouter surface of the shell 12 and the housing to reduce the amount ofheat that is transferred therebetween from the amount of heat that wouldbe so transferred if the outer surface of the shell 12 contacted thehousing. The combustion chamber 10 is secured to the housing by aplurality of evenly spaced brackets disposed about the periphery of thecombustion chamber's input and output. The brackets are secured byscrews or the like to the shell 12 and to locations of the housing. Oneore more brackets are also provided to couple the baffle 13 to the shell12 defining the combustion chamber 10.

A light 38 can optionally be coupled to the heater 1 to illuminate anenvironment within the vicinity of the heater 1. The light 38 can be anyconventional electric light including, but not limited to a fluorescentlight, incandescent light, high-intensity light emitting diode (“LED”)array, and the like. A clear or slightly opaque protective shroud orlens can optionally be provided to protect the light 38 from beingdamaged by other objects near the heater 1. Further, operation of thelight 38 can be controlled by the operator with a switch 42 independentof the operation of the other components of the forced-air heater 1 andthe combustion of fuel from the fuel tank 3. The switch 42 can be anytype of operator input device, such as a multi-position switch, one ormore push button switches (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2), and the like. InFIGS. 1 and 2, the switch 42 includes an ON pushbutton switch 42 a andan OFF pushbutton switch 42 b, which turn the light 38 on and off,respectively. According to alternate embodiments, the switch 42 canoptionally offer a plurality of intensity settings, such as low, mediumand high, or can be controlled with an infinitely adjustable dimmerswitch to control the intensity of the light 42.

A heater control panel 46 is operatively coupled to the heater 1 toallow the operator to control heating of the ambient environment by theheater 1. The control panel 46 in the illustrative embodiments shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 include a thermostat interface 48 and an ignition switch52. The thermostat interface 48 can be rotated about a central axis to adesired temperature to which the operator wishes to heat the ambientenvironment of the heater 1. The thermostat interface 48 can beinfinitely adjusted between high and low temperature limits, or can berotated to one or more predetermined temperature settings such as LOW,MEDIUM and HIGH. The temperature selected with the thermostat interface48 can govern operation of an electric motor 15 discussed below,ignition of an air/fuel mixture, the supply of fuel to the combustionchamber 10, the ratio of air to fuel provided to the combustion chamber10, an igniter 56 discussed below with reference to FIG. 3, or anycombination thereof. As is known in the art, a thermostat operativelycoupled to the thermostat interface 48 controls activation,deactivation, and operation of any of these components to maintain thetemperature within the ambient environment of the heater 1 atapproximately the temperature selected with the thermostat interface 48.

The support 5 is secured to or otherwise formed adjacent to the topsurface of the fuel tank 3 by spot welding, brazing, or the like, andsupports the heater's housing. The support 5 includes at least oneadjustable panel 6 that can be adjusted by an operator to gain accessinto an interior chamber 21 defined by the support 5. The adjustablepanel 6 can be secured to the support 5 by any type of fastener thatpermits adjustment of the adjustable panel 6 to allow access into theinterior chamber 21. Examples of such fasteners include a hinge, lockingscrew, latch, and the like. The interior chamber can house components ofthe forced-air heater 1, such as a self-contained, on-board power supply24 (FIG. 3), control and ignition circuitry, electrical wiring, air andfuel hoses, and the like. Each of such components can be serviced,replaced or accessed through the aperture in the support 5 concealed bythe adjustable panel 6 is removable to provide convenient access to thecomponents housed in the compartment for servicing and replacement.

The self-contained, on-board power supply 24 can be any type of portableenergy source that can supply electric energy, at least temporarily,when utility-generated electric energy is unavailable. Examples ofsuitable on-board power supplies 24 include, but are not limited to, abattery, thermoelectric generator, fuel cell, ultracapacitor, and thelike. An example of a suitable battery is the lithium secondary cellbattery (also called a lithium ion battery), a cutaway view of which isshown schematically in FIG. 4. Details of such a battery are disclosedin United States Patent Publication No. US 2005/0233219, published onOct. 20, 2005, which is incorporated in its entirety herein byreference. Another example of a suitable battery 24 is described indetail in United States Publication No. US 2005/0233220, published onOct. 20, 2005, which is also incorporated in its entirety herein byreference. This, or batteries with similar performance characteristicsmay be utilized to supply electric energy, at least temporarily, to oneor more electric components of the forced-air heater 1.

The aforementioned lithium ion examples of a suitable battery that canbe used as the power source 24 of the present invention include ahigh-capacity lithium-containing positive electrode in electroniccontact with a positive electrode current collector. A high-capacitynegative electrode is in electronic contact with a negative electrodecollector. The positive and negative collectors are in electricalcontact with separate external circuits. A separator is positioned inionic contact between with the cathode (positive terminal) and the anode(negative terminal), and an electrolyte is in ionic contact with thepositive and negative electrodes. The slow discharge rates of thebattery allow for extended shelf-life and extended use characteristics.

The total and relative area specific impedances for the positive andnegative electrodes of such exemplary batteries 24 are such that thenegative electrode potential is above the potential of metallic lithiumduring charging at greater than or equal to 4C (4 times the ratedcapacity of the battery per hour). The current capacity per unit area ofthe positive and negative electrodes each are at least 3 mA-h/cm2 andthe total area specific impedance for the cell is less than about 20Ω-cm2. The ratio of the area specific impedances of the positiveelectrode to the negative electrode is at least about ten.

Also, for the lithium ion batteries 24 discussed in the examples above,the area specific impedance of the total cell is localized predominantlyat the positive electrode. The charge capacity per unit area of thepositive and negative electrodes each are preferably at least 0.75mA-h/cm2, more preferably at least 1.0 mA-h/cm2, and most preferably atleast 1.5 mA-h/cm2. The total area specific impedance for the cell isless than about 16 Ω-cm2, preferably less than about 14 Ω-cm2, and morepreferably less than about 12 Ω-cm2, more preferably less than about 10Ω-cm2, and most preferably less than or equal to about 3 Ω-cm2. Thenegative electrode has an area specific impedance of less than or equalto about 2.5 Ω-cm2, more preferably less than or equal to about 2.0Ω-cm2, and most preferably less than or equal to about 1.5 Ω-cm2.

Examples of suitable materials for the positive electrode include alithium transition metal phosphate including one or more of vanadium,chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, and nickel. Examples of suitablenegative electrode materials include carbon, such as graphitic carbon.The carbon is selected from the group consisting of graphite, spheroidalgraphite, mesocarbon microbeads and carbon fibers.

Embodiments of the battery 24 can optionally include a battery elementhaving an elongated cathode and an elongated anode, which are separatedby two layers of an elongated microporous separator which are tightlywound together and placed in a battery can. An example of a typicalspiral electrode secondary cell is shown in FIG. 4, the details of whichare discussed in U.S. Patent Publication 2005/0233219 and U.S. Pat. No.6,277,522, both of which are incorporated in their entirety herein byreference. The secondary cell 200 includes a double layer of anodematerial 220 coated onto both sides of an anode collector 240, aseparator 260 and a double layer of cathode material 280 coated ontoboth sides of cathode collector 300 that have been stacked in this orderand wound to make a spiral form. The spirally wound cell is insertedinto a battery can 320 and insulating plates 340 are disposed at upperand lower surfaces of the spirally wound cell. A cathode lead 360 fromanode collector 300 provides electrical contact with the cover. An anodelead 380 is connected to the battery can 320. An electrolytic solutionis also added to the can.

FIG. 3 is a cutaway view of a forced-air heater 1 in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. Adjacent to the intake end 19 ofthe forced-air heater 1, a motor 15 is supported by means of a bracket32 that extends between the lower and upper housing portions 7,8. Adrive shaft 16 extends from and is rotationally driven by the motor 15.An end of the drive shaft 16 is coupled to fan blades 18, which drawambient air in the direction of arrows 34 through the air intake end 19of the forced-air heater 1. The fan blades 18 force air into thecombustion chamber 10, where it is mixed with the atomized fuel injectedinto the combustion chamber 10 through the nozzle 36 and the mixture iscombusted. The intake guard 14 at the intake port prevents largeobjects, which can damage the fan blades 18 or block the air passages,from entering the forced-air heater 1.

The battery or other type of power supply 24 can supply electric energy,at least temporarily, to operate one or more electric components of theheater 1 while the heater 1 is generating thermal energy for heating itsambient environment. Electric energy can be supplied by the power source24 to a control unit 62 via an electrical conductor 64 disposed withinthe internal chamber 21 of the support 5. The control unit 62 isoperatively coupled to the user interface devices provided to the heater1 such as the switch 42, control panel 46, any other user input device,or any combination thereof to carry out control commands input by anoperator. The control unit includes necessary electrical and electronichardware, software, or a combination thereof chosen with soundengineering judgment to respond to commands input by an operator via oneor more user interface devices provided to the heater 1.

The heater 1 can be equipped with a rectifier 58 that convertsalternating current (“AC”) electric energy from an external sourceconducted via a plug 28 into DC electric energy. The rectifier 58 isoperatively coupled to the power supply 24 and the control unit 62 todistribute DC electric energy as needed for proper operation of theheater 1. DC electric energy can be selectively supplied by therectifier 58 to the control unit 62, to recharge the battery or otherpower source 24, or simultaneously to the control unit 62 and the powersource 24 when electric energy from an external source such as aconventional wall outlet or generator is available. Thus, when ACelectric energy is available from an external source, the AC electricenergy is rectified by the rectifier 58 into DC electric energy. If thepower source 24 is charged to a degree that is less than a predeterminedlower limit such as 90%, the rectifier can automatically (i.e., withoutoperator intervention) supply DC electric energy for charging the powersource 24 until a predetermined cutoff condition is met. Simultaneously,the rectifier 58 can supply DC electric energy to the control unit 62during operation of the heater 1. In turn, the control unit 62selectively establishes conductive pathways between one or more electriccomponents, such as an igniter 56, light 38, fuel pump (not shown), andmotor 15 for example, to energize the appropriate component(s) inresponse to control commands input by the operator via switch, 42,control panel 46 and the like.

Other embodiments of the present invention utilize the air forced intothe combustion chamber 10 by the fan blades 18 to draw fuel from thefuel tank 3 into the combustion chamber 10. According to theseembodiments, the air is directed passed the nozzle 36, thereby creatinga vacuum force that draws the fuel from the fuel tank 3 and directs itinto the combustion chamber 10.

When AC electric energy from an external source is unavailable, therectifier 58 can conduct DC electric energy from the power source 24 viaa conductive pathway 64 to the control unit 62. Since rectification ofthe DC electric energy from the power source 24 is not needed if DCelectric energy is demanded, the rectifier 58 can merely establish theconductive pathway 64 leading to the control unit. In response to acontrol command input by the operator, the control unit 62 canselectively establish and break conductive pathways corresponding to thecontrol command to activate and deactivate the appropriate electriccomponent(s) of the heater 1.

Alternate embodiments of the heater 1 can optionally include a motor 15or other electric component that is designed to be energized by ACelectric energy. For such embodiments, if the power source 24 is abattery or other DC source of electric energy, the heater 1 can furtherinclude an inverter 66 to convert the DC electric energy from the powersource 24 into AC electric energy to be utilized by the motor 15 orother component. When an external source of AC electric energy such as awall outlet or generator is available, the rectifier 58 can conduct theAC electric energy via a conductive pathway to the control unit 62without rectifying it into DC electric energy. Thus, the AC electricenergy conducted by the plug 28 from the external source is conducted tothe control unit 62 as AC electric energy for use in energizing one ormore AC electric components corresponding to a control command input bythe operator via switch 42, control panel 46, and the like.Additionally, if an external source of AC electric energy is available,the rectifier 58 can simultaneously rectify the AC electric energy intoDC electric energy for charging the battery or other such power source24.

If the heater 1 includes one or more electric components to be energizedwith AC electric energy and such electric energy is not available froman external source of AC electric energy, the inverter 66 converts DCelectric energy from the power source 24 into AC electric energy. Thisinverted AC electric energy is conducted by a conductive pathway 68 tothe control unit 62, which establishes one or more conductive pathwaysto the component(s) to be energized with AC electric energycorresponding to the control command input via switch 42, control panel46, and the like.

The embodiment of the heater 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 further includesan optional electric energy outlet 81 into which external electricaccessories such as radios, clocks, power tools and the like can beplugged. The outlet 81 includes one or more female receptacles 83 thatcan receive conventional two-prong electric power cord plugs.Accordingly, each receptacle 83 includes at least two apertures 85 intowhich the prongs of the plug provided to the external electric accessoryare inserted to establish an electrical connection between the heater 1and the external electric accessory.

The outlet 81 can act as a source of AC electric energy to energize theexternal electric accessory when a conventional wall outlet or generatoris not available. The outlet 81 can also act as an extension of aconventional wall outlet or generator when such an external source of ACelectric energy is available.

When an external source of AC electric energy is unavailable, theinverter 66 can convert DC electric energy from the power source 24 intoAC electric energy. The AC electric energy output by the inverter 66 canbe in the form of a sinusoid having a peak in the form of a with a peakvoltage of about 170 volts and a frequency of about 60 Hz, similar tothe AC electric energy sourced by a conventional wall outlet. However,it should be noted that the AC electric energy output by the inverter 66can deviate from a perfect sinusoid, and in fact, can take on the shapeof a square wave, triangular waveform, and any other waveform shapesuitable for energizing an external electric accessory. Due to the largepower output capacity of a battery, such as the lithium ion batterydescribed above, some of which can output up to 3000 Watts, the externalelectric accessory can be energized by AC electric energy converted fromDC electric energy supplied by the battery or other power source 24.

When an external source of AC electric energy is available to the heater1, the rectifier 58 can conduct the AC electric from the external sourceto the control unit 62. The control unit 62 is operatively connected tothe one or more electrical outlets 81 to establish a conductive paththere between. Thus, in addition to controlling the flow of any ACelectric energy required to energize one or more components of theheater 1, the control unit 62 can also direct the AC electric energy tothe outlet 81. Even when the heater 1 is not combusting the air/fuelmixture to deliver thermal energy to the ambient environment of theheater 1, the outlet 81 can still be utilized by an external electricaccessory. This is true regardless of whether the AC electric energy isconverted from DC electric energy from the power source 24 or suppliedfrom a conventional wall outlet, generator or the like through theheater's plug 28.

Thus, the power source 24 provided to the heater 1 can selectivelysupply electric energy, AC, DC, or any combination thereof to one ormore of the following electric components of the heater 1: an ignitersuch as a hot surface igniter, spark ignitor, and the like; a fan; ablower; one or more AC electric outlets 81; one or more lights 38; athermostat; and any combination thereof. Further, the power source 24can supply this electric energy simultaneously while combustion of thecombustible fuel is taking place, or in the absence of the combustion ofthe combustible fuel. And the electric energy supplied by the powersource 24 can be supplied at least temporarily in the absence of anexternal source of electric energy, simultaneously with the supply ofelectric energy from an external source, or as a backup power supply.

An alternate embodiment of a forced-air heater 110 according to thepresent invention is shown in FIG. 5. The embodiment in FIG. 5, incombination with one or more of the features discussed above, canoptionally further include a chassis that facilitates mobility of theheater 110, and the ability to be stored in a substantially-verticalorientation with only minimal, if any, leakage of the liquid fuel fromthe fuel tank 114. One or more wheels 124 can optionally be provided tofacilitate transportation of the forced-air heater 110. Each wheel 124can include a rim 126 provided with a rubberized exterior coating 128about its exterior periphery. According to an embodiment of theforced-air heater 110, the fuel tank 114 includes agenerally-cylindrical passage formed in the housing through which anaxle extends to support the wheels 124. Each wheel 124 can alsooptionally be positioned within a wheel well 130 formed in the fuel tank114. The wheel wells 130 allow the wheels 124 to be recessed inwardlytoward the center of a fuel tank 114 thereby giving the forced-air 110 agenerally-streamlined configuration.

A frame 132 fabricated from an arrangement of tubes or rods made from ametal or other suitably-strong material for supporting the weight of afully fueled forced-air heater 110 forms a cage that at least partiallyencases the heating conduit 112 and fuel tank 114. The frame 132includes a proximate end 134 and a distal end 136 separated bylongitudinally extending members 138. A cross member 140 can serve as ahandle at the proximate end 134, allowing the operator to grasp theforced-air heater 110 and maneuver it as desired. A member 138′ canextend longitudinally along each side of the forced-air heater 110adjacent to the fuel tank 114 and externally of the wheels 124. In thisarrangement, the member 138′ allows for simplified installation of thewheels 124 and the frame 132, and also protects the wheels 124 fromimpacting nearby objects while the forced-air heater 110 is beingmaneuvered.

FIG. 6 illustrates transportation of the forced-air heater 110 in asomewhat vertical orientation according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. The orientation of the forced-air heater 110 shown in FIG. 6is but one of the possible orientations in which the forced-air heater110 can be oriented without leaking significant amounts of liquid fuelfrom the fuel tank 114. This orientation is an example of what is meantherein by references to an orientation other than the orientation inwhich the forced-air heater 110 is intended to be fired, which is theorientation shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of a forced-air heater 110 in asubstantially-vertical storage orientation. When not in use, theforced-air heater 110 can be stood on the distal end 136 of the frame132. The tubing made from a metal or other strong material that formsthe distal end 136 of the frame 132 is patterned to give the distal end136 a suitably-wide footprint that can maintain the forced-air heater110 in the substantially vertical orientation shown in FIG. 3. Thefootprint of the distal end 136 can optionally be large enough tomaintain the substantially-vertical orientation of the forced-air heater110 even when minor forces are imparted on the forced-air heater 110above the distal end 136 with reference to FIG. 7.

While the forced-air heater 110 is in the substantially-vertical storageorientation, a rain shield 142 is positioned to interfere with the entryof falling objects or other debris into the heating conduit 112. Therain shield 142 can be a planar sheet of metal or other rigid materialthat extends between the cross member 140 that serves as the handle anda second cross member 144. With the rain shield 142 positioned as shownin FIG. 7, it interferes with the entry of falling objects into the endof the heating conduit 112 in which air is drawn from the ambientenvironment.

The forced-air heater 110 has been described thus far and illustrated inthe drawings as optionally including a rain shield 142 adjacent to theambient air intake end of the heating conduit 112. However, it is to benoted that the present invention is not limited solely to such anarrangement. Instead, the present invention also encompasses aforced-air heater 110 that can be stored in a substantially-verticalorientation such that the discharge end of the heating conduit 112 fromwhich heated air is forced is aimed upwardly, and the ambient air intakeend is aimed toward the ground. Of course, the fuel-management system ofthe present invention described below will be adapted accordingly.

FIG. 8 is a cross-section view of an embodiment of a fuel tank 114,which forms a portion of the combustion heater's fuel-management system.The fuel tank 114 includes one or more cavities 146 that alternatelyaccommodates liquid fuel and an air gap that is shifted when theforced-air heater 110 is transitioned from its firing orientation (shownin FIG. 5) to its substantially-vertical storage orientation (shown inFIG. 7), and vice versa. A fuel outlet 154 is provided adjacent to thelowermost portion of the fuel tank 114 while the forced-air heater 110is in its horizontal firing position. Positioning the fuel outlet 154 inthis manner allows approximately all of the fuel to be removed from thefuel tank 14 during operation of the forced-air heater 110.

A hose 158 is connected between the fuel outlet 154 and a nozzle 160through which the fuel is metered into the combustion chamber 120. Thehose 158 can be fabricated from any material that will resist damage anddegradation from exposure to the particular fuel used to fire theforced-air heater 110. Examples of the types of fuels the hose 158 willtransport include, but are not limited to, kerosene, diesel fuel oil,and the like.

The hose 158 includes an arcuate portion 162, which is also referred toherein as a return curve 162. The return curve 162 is positioned on theforced-air heater 110 such that the return curve 162 is oriented similarto a “U” while the forced-air heater 110 is in itssubstantially-vertical storage orientation, with both arms aimedupwardly in a direction generally opposing the acceleration of gravity.

The location of the fuel inlet 148 through which liquid fuel can beinserted into the fuel tank 114 limits the amount of fuel that can beplaced in the fuel tank 114. With the forced-air heater 110 in itsfiring orientation, the lowest point of the fuel inlet 148 marks theupper fuel level limit 150. Thus, the air gap 152 a is disposed abovethe upper fuel level limit 50 and the liquid fuel in the fuel tank 14.When the forced-air heater 110 is transitioned to thesubstantially-vertical storage orientation shown in FIG. 3, the fuel inthe fuel tank 114 shifts to position an air gap 152 b adjacent to thefuel outlet 154. An example of a suitable size for the air gaps 152 a,152 b is about 0.4 gallons with the fuel tank 114 at its maximumcapacity, but air gaps 152 a, 152 b of any size is within the scope ofthe present invention.

The shifting of the fuel in the fuel tank 14 when the forced-air heater110 is transitioned from the intended firing orientation to thesubstantially-vertical storage orientation creates a vacuum at the fueloutlet 154. The vacuum results in the siphoning of fuel from the hose158 back into the fuel tank 114 instead of allowing the fuel to leakfrom the nozzle 160. Additionally, most, if not all of the remainingfuel not siphoned back into the fuel tank 114 is allowed to pool in thereturn curve 162 in the hose 158 instead of draining from the nozzle160. This further minimizes leakage of the fuel from the forced-airheater 110.

Although much of the description above focuses on portable forced-airheaters, fixed heating installations such as furnaces are also withinthe scope of the present invention.

Illustrative embodiments have been described, hereinabove. It will beapparent to those skilled in the art that the above devices and methodsmay incorporate changes and modifications without departing from thegeneral scope of this invention. It is intended to include all suchmodifications and alterations in so far as they come within the scope ofthe appended claims.

1. A forced-air heater comprising: a self-contained on-boardelectric-power supply that allows the forced-air heater to operatewithout an external electric power source; a fuel tank; a combustionchamber; a support; a housing including upper and lower housingportions; a motorized fan that during operation draws in ambient airthrough an air intake and forces air into the combustion chamber.
 2. Theforced-air heater of claim 1, further comprising: an electric energyoutlet that interfaces with an electric accessory to energize theelectric accessory.
 3. The forced-air heater of claim 1, furthercomprising: a rectifier to distribute direct current electric energy tothe heater.
 4. The forced-air heater of claim 1, further comprising: aninverter to distribute alternating current electric energy to theheater.
 5. The forced-air heater of claim 1, further comprising: acontrol unit to establish and break conductive pathways to activate anddeactivate electric components.
 6. The forced-air heater of claim 1,further comprising: at least one light source coupled to the heater. 7.The forced-air heater of claim 1, further comprising: a heater controlpanel operatively coupled with a thermostat control and an ignitionswitch.
 8. The forced-air heater of claim 1, further comprising: a rainshield that interferes with the entry of falling objects or other debrisinto an end of a heating conduit while the heater is in an uprightstorage position.
 9. The forced-air heater of claim 1, wherein theon-board electric-power supply is selected from the group consisting ofa battery, a thermoelectric generator, a fuel cell, and anultracapacitor.
 10. The forced-air heater of claim 1, wherein theon-board electric-power supply is a lithium secondary cell battery orlithium ion battery.
 11. A forced-air heater comprising: aself-contained on-board electric-power supply that is a lithiumsecondary cell battery or lithium ion battery that allows the forced-airheater to operate without an external electric power source; a fueltank; a combustion chamber; a support; a housing; and a motorized fanthat during operation draws in ambient air through an intake and forcesair into the combustion chamber.
 12. The forced-air heater of claim 11,further comprising: an electric energy outlet that interfaces with anelectric accessory to energize the electric accessory.
 13. Theforced-air heater of claim 11, wherein the on-board electric powersupply has a charge capacity per unit area of positive and negativeelectrodes of at least 0.75 mA-h/cm2.
 14. The forced-air heater of claim11, wherein the on-board electric power supply has a specific impedanceof less than about 16 Ω-cm2.
 15. The forced-air heater of claim 11,further comprising: a negative electrode of the on-board electric powersupply having a specific impedance of less than or equal to about 2.5Ω-cm2.
 16. The forced-air heater of claim 11, further comprising: achassis that enables mobility; at least one wheel positioned within awheel well formed in the fuel tank; and a frame having a cross memberthat can serve as a handle which allows an operator to grasp theforced-air heater and maneuver it.
 17. A method for producing heat,comprising providing a forced-air heater, said forced-air heatercomprising: a self-contained on-board electric-power supply, a fueltank, a combustion chamber, a support, a housing including upper andlower housing portions, and an electric power consuming element otherthan a resistive heating element, comprising, a motorized fan, or anignitor; and directing a majority of the electric power from saidself-contained on-board electric-power supply to an electric powerconsuming element other than a resistive heating element.
 18. The methodfor producing heat of claim 17, wherein said self-contained on-boardelectric-power supply is adapted to provide the forced-air heater withsufficient power to operate without an external electric power source.19. The method for producing heat of claim 18, wherein saidself-contained on-board electric-power supply comprises either a lithiumsecondary cell battery or lithium ion battery.
 20. The method forproducing heat of claim 19, comprising a motorized fan, wherein saidmotorized fan is adapted to draw ambient air through an air intake andforce air into the combustion chamber.